Luke 9:49 — Community Reflections

LUKE 9:49 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

“And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.”

Master, said John, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us — John's interruption reports the disciples' attempt to stop the unauthorized exorcist. He is not one of us: the tribal exclusiveness that the servant-of-all teaching directly contradicts. The not one of us is the concern about authorization, which the next verse will challenge.

Church Fathers on Luke 9:49

The devil lays plots of various kinds for them that love the best way of life. And if indeed by carnal allurements he can gain possession of a man’s heart, He sharpens his love of pleasure; but if a man has escaped these snares, he excites in him a desire of glory, and this passion for vain-glory had seized some one of His apostles. Hence it is said, Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be the greatest. For to have such thoughts, belongs to him who…
Cyril of Alexandria · 5th century

Now it seems that this feeling was excited by the circumstance of their not being able to cure the demoniac. And while they were disputing thereupon, one said, It was not owing to my weakness, but another’s, that he could not be cured; and so thereby was kindled a strife among them, which was the greatest.
Theophylact · 11th century

Or, because they saw Peter, James, and John, taken apart to the mount, and the keys of the kingdom of heaven promised to Peter, they were angry that these three, or Peter, should have precedence over all; or because in the payment of the tribute they saw Peter made equal to the Lord, they supposed he was to be placed before the rest. But the attentive reader will find that the question was raised among them before the payment of the penny. For in truth Matthew relates that…
Bede · 8th century

Read all 16 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

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